The Canadian Press
July 30, 2008 - 8:47 p.m.

DUNCAN, B.C. - Western Forest Products Inc. (TSX:WEF) lost $19.3 million in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year ago as a continuing decline in U.S. housing starts compounded by the agency of a continuing weak U.S. dollar cut demand and margins.

The forestry company said the loss amounted to 10 cents per share as far as concerns the three months ended June 30 compared with a profit of $17.6 million or eight cents per share a year ago.

Sales in the special location totalled $237.8 a thousand thousand, down from $301.1 the multitude.

Last month, Western said it would cut production in half this summer due to unsettled markets in the United States and Japan.

The cuts related to operations on Vancouver Island, the Queen Charlotte Islands and the Sunshine Coast in July and August and feigned about 650 of Western’s hourly employees and 1,200 contractors.

Shares in the company, that reported its earnings after the close of markets, were unchanged at 80 cents on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Wednesday.